Every Action Has A Reaction
by EclecticKnight88
Summary: Post GITF. The Doctor is forced to deal with the consequences of leaving Rose & Mickey behind.
1. Chapter 1

**Doctor Who.**

_A/N: Sadly I don't own Dr. Who. But this is how I would have liked season two, to have gone. Rose's memories are in italics._

**Chapter 1.**

Turning the untouched mug of tea in her hands for the millionth time in ten minutes, Rose Tyler continues to think. The pain in her heart threatening to make the young woman split in two, silent tears fall down her otherwise clean face. Free of the mass amounts of make up she usually wears. Mickey had dragged her away from the Doctor hours ago, but she hasn't been anywhere near him since. She doesn't _want _to be anywhere near him.

Why does it continue to happen? Why is it that all the men that she truly desires, never desire her in return? Why can't she be normal? Mickey desires her. Loves her even. Mickey would never hurt her the way that Jimmy Stone did, or the way the Doctor has done. But for some reason...she can't find it in herself to love Mickey Smith in the same way that he loves her, the way he _deserves_ to be loved. The parting words of Sarah-Jane Smith come screaming back to the forefront of Rose's mind.

"_Some things are worth getting your heart broken for."_

With that memory. The anger explodes inside of Rose Tyler, how could...that is completely wrong. Sarah-Jane is wrong. The Doctor _isn't_ worth getting your heartbroken for, perhaps if things were different. If he hadn't just done what he'd done...then maybe Rose would agree with the older woman's assessment. But all the Doctor had done, was shown Rose _exactly_ what she was to him. Her first encounter with Sarah-Jane comes to mind.

"_Blimey! You keep getting older but your assistants keep getting younger."_

He hadn't corrected Sarah-Jane, that was the first thing that Rose registered in that moment. He hadn't disagreed with Sarah-Jane's first impression of Rose by saying...what? Hell being declared his _friend_ would have been better, at least then it would show that he at the very least _respected_ her.

Rose's hands grip the mug a little tighter as she remembers the disdain and arrogant manner that _Madame De Pompadour_ addressed her with. The insult.

"_Supposed to happen! It happened child."_

Child! God it was repulsive. The childish assistant of the _Great_ Time Lord.

Rose barely registers the new arrival of the kitchen. Whom turns out to be the Doctor himself. Other memories come rushing to the front of Rose's mind.

_A hand taking hold of hers, mere seconds away from death. She looks to her left, and there is a man with a daft face and ears. Wearing a leather jacket, and a cheeky smile._

"_Run!"_

Outside the confines of Rose Tyler's mind, the Doctor is looking at her with growing concern. He has been talking to her for three minutes and 45 seconds now, and she hasn't said a word. Instead she is clutching onto her mug of very cold, yet oddly untouched tea, staring ahead of her.

"Rose? Rose are you alright?"

She hasn't even looked at him since he entered. That in itself is strange.

Meanwhile, Rose is still remembering how it was before. When it was her and _her_ Doctor.

_Downing street, Slitheen outside and the end of the world is approaching a lot sooner than it should for one giant alien family's greed. A table is all that stands between them, he is making it clear to Jackie that someone has to make the difficult decisions, and it's always him._

"_Do it."_

_Her Doctor looks to her._

"_You don't know what it is, you've just let..."_

"_Yeah..."_

_Then he says the words that will never make her wonder with him._

"_I could save the world but loose you."_

The burning look in his electric, once forever cold, blue eyes screamed what he was feeling for her. Rose had understood why he could never say it, why he felt like he should never say it, so he let her know in other ways. The way he'd look at her, hold her hand. Hug her. When he comforted her after watching her father die right there before her eyes after gaining the most treasured hours in the world with him. Hours that everyone in the world whose lost the ones they've loved but barely, or never knew would kill to have. _Her _Doctor gave her all of those things.

A chance at what had always seemed to be impossible, to see her dad. A hug from him, it may have only been one hug, but that one hug she'll always remember and treasure. To be able to call him 'Daddy' when she was upset and scared out of her mind. _Her_ Doctor being eaten by the Reaper to save them. Save her the pain of loosing her father all over again.

"_You were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. But you know what? So was I."_

And then he was gone, in an explosion of gold light. Never to return. Replaced by this..._stranger_ who prefers to get his leg over with the French's answer to the country's bike. The crowned whore of France, and he had the nerve to gloat about it. Clearly someone of Rose's _statue_ in life means nothing to him, just _there_ to assist when the assistant is needed. Guard the TARDIS like a dog. A pet. K-9's replacement. That's all Rose Tyler is to this brown pinstriped wearing intergalactic Casanova.

As the Doctor shakes Rose out of her daze, it is then she makes a promise to herself. Never. _Never_ will she shed a tear of this _imposter_ again, he doesn't deserve her heart. Snapping out of her musings Rose looks around to find _him_ wearing a fake look of concern.

"Rose? You with me? Are you alright? You've been out of it for ten minutes."

Her mind made up. Her heart locked in a cold steel vault. Rose gets to her feet, walks over to the kitchen and pours the untouched tea down the drain before placing said mug in the basin. Heading out the door she turns her head slightly and says, what is basically the kiss of death to what was once 'the Doctor and Rose'.

"I'm always alright."

With that she leaves the Doctor standing there alone. Alone in what is now a _very_ cold kitchen, the Doctor staggers back as he realises that something is very wrong here. Question is...will he be able to fix it? Or will he loose Rose completely?

**A/N: I know it's short. But hopefully the chapters that will follow are going to be longer. This is my first Doctor who 10/Rose story, so here's hoping it's good. Don't hesitate to review.**

**This was supposed to go on a Doctor Who Fanfic site known as or A Teaspoon & An Open Mind, but I can't seem to load it up for some reason. If anyone is part of that site, a little help will be GREAT!**


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Italic for the TARDIS speaking through telepathy._

**Chapter 2.**

This had to be the most unbearable thing that he has ever witnessed. It has been four days, fourteen hours, thirty minutes and twenty seconds since Rose had become distant with him. Despite his strong reluctance to take Rose and Mickey somewhere, he couldn't avoid it any longer. Mickey the Idiot was a whiny one. If the Doctor is completely honest with himself, it is only the thoughts of what both Rose and Jackie Tyler would say that prevented him from shoving Mickey out of the TARDIS as they shot through the vortex.

Speaking of the childish annoyance, he claps a hand on the Doctor's right shoulder, a sandwich in the other.

"Rose looks like she's enjoying herself."

The Doctor had to all but bite his own tongue to prevent himself from saying what he was actually thinking. You see, Rose has captured the interests of one King Henry Tudor, the eight to be exact. What was worse, is that Rose is responding. A little too enthusiastically in the Doctor's opinion. Speaking of opinions, the Doctor looks to Mickey, shocked to find that Mickey doesn't seem to have a problem with this.

"How can you be so calm with your girlfriend being hit on by the King of England?"

To his even greater annoyance, Mickey burst out laughing.

"Ya jokin ain't ya Boss. Me & Rose broke up that night we met Sarah-Jane, and you call me an idiot."

Ignoring Mickey's slaughtering of the English language, the Doctor decides to focus on the main point here. Rose and Mickey had broken up the night they'd met Sara-Jane? Why didn't she tell him? If he knew _that_ then the Doctor wouldn't have agreed to bring the idiot along.

Turning his attention back to Rose, well if you'd ever fallen in love with someone but logic states that you steer clear only to find some womanising snob touch her, you get the idea. At the sight of Henry VIII caressing Rose's cheek, _his_ Rose's cheek, the Doctor wasn't handling it so well. In fact the Doctor is handling it so badly that he promptly storms across the width of the Grand ball room to Rose's side making sure that cheeky smile is firmly in place and clearing his throat. Instantly getting the attention of both Rose and the King of England.

"Pardon the interruption Your Majesty but I am afraid that an emergency has arisen that calls for Mistress Rose's immediate attention."

Rose looked murderous. He knew there was a very real chance that she'll hate more than she already does for this. But the Doctor refuses to allow a man like this to harm her.

The King however, mercifully, looked rather concerned and troubled.

"How unfortunate to hear, then by all means. Mistress Rose, I give you my good wishes and hope that this situation does not bring an unpleasant end to you."

The King bows, as does the Doctor, Rose drops into a curtsy.

"You sentiments are well received My Lord. I have greatly enjoyed the festivities here tonight. I can only hope that I shall return soon enough."

OK, now the Doctor was really upset. She was flirting with the KING! Doesn't she know what he did to two of his wives? Good Lord this man went through women faster than the Doctor did regenerations, and his on his tenth. To make things even worse, in the Doctor's opinion anyway, he watches as the King kisses Rose's hand and she GIGGLES! Since when did Rose Marion Tyler giggle for anyone? With that the King takes his leave, Rose turns to look at the Doctor rage burning in her beautiful eyes.

'Rassolin. I'm gonna get slapped for this.' However the Doctor's thought doesn't seem correct. Instead Rose just shakes her head before walking past him without saying a word. As the Doctor watches her leave, he realises that this is a lot more serious than he'd originally thought. Not that he was under-estimating the seriousness before now of course, it's just that surely, surely she'd have done or said _something_. Right?

Back in the TARDIS, once again Mickey boy is fast asleep in his room and so is Rose. The Doctor however, the Doctor is mirroring Rose's actions the night after their encounter with the time windows into Reinette's life. Suddenly it was like a light bulb had went off.

Reinette.

Rose began acting distant after Reinette. But then...what was it about the whole thing that had Rose acting like this?

Whilst the Doctor was desperately trying to work out the inner workings of Rose's mind, his wondrous sentient and much cleverer TARDIS, if she were human or even an animal, well she'd be foaming at the mouth through his stupidity. Having had enough, she breaks silence with him.

'_You are without a doubt the dumbest man I have ever had the misfortune to become my pilot. You do know that don't you. Stupid prat.'_

The Doctor's head snaps up suddenly.

"Oi. No need for name calling you know."

_'There is every need. Not even RASSOLIN himself was this bleeding dense, and HE was caught with his pants down. LITERALLY! Granted it was all a prank, but nobody knew that at the time now did they. Sweet Lord, maybe I should just head straight for the Powell Estate. One Jackie Tyler will soon straighten your idiocy out.'_

The Doctor's eyes went wide. Give him Daleks! Give him Slitheen! Give him Gelth!. Hell, give him Cassandra! Bollocks, give him Captain Jack Harkness pissed out of his mind trying to get a feel! But never, _never_ let Jackie Tyler within slapping distance of him.

"You wouldn't. Please, for Rassolin's sake show _some_ mercy."

'_Well if you wish to avoid the wrath of Jackie Tyler, I suggest you think real hard about your actions over the last couple of trips mate. Because if you don't I will make damn sure that you and Mrs. Jackie Tyler are trapped in one of my many rooms for a good long while, and when I do let you free, you'll be on your last bloody body. GOT IT!'_

"Loud and clear."

With that the TARDIS became silent again. Leaving the Doctor, rather afraid.

"Bloody hell. That's a first. I'm being threatened by not only my TARDIS, but the possibility of a deadly encounter with Jackie Tyler."

With that Rose enters the kitchen.

"What's this about my Mum?"

The Doctor, out of sheer shock, actually topples out of his chair. The TARDIS, showing no mercy, laughs cruelly in his head at the humiliation. Rose, smirks. Now that wounds him a little, no concern what so ever. He really has done it hasn't he. But _what_ has he done?

_'Do you want me to plot that route Time Lord, cause I will!'_

Gulping mentally, the Doctor throws in a 'Not really' comment for good measure. Rose's glare snaps him back to reality.

"Thought you were sleeping."

The Doctor mentally berates himself. _That's_ all you have to say. No wonder the TARDIS is threatening to inflict a visit on Jackie Tyler.

"Thirsty."

One worded answer, and Rose gets herself a glass of water. The Doctor can do nothing more than watch her silently. As Rose goes to leave, that's when the Doctor reaches the end of his rope. He can't stand Rose being so distant with him, he'd rather have Jackie Tyler KISS him then have Rose be like this with him.

"Rose!"

She stops in the door way. Her heartbeat quickening.

"Please. Talk to me...whatever it is. Yell at me if you want. Hell _slap_ me just...talk to me."

Rose turns to look at the Doctor. It pains him to see that tears are forming in her eyes.

"You left."

It was barely louder than a whisper, but boy did it have an impact.

**A/N: There you go. Chapter two, because it is mostly centred on the Doctor this chapter, I tried to make it a little lighter but also confused and sad. Hopefully I succeeded.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

"_You left me."_

Minus the sounds of the TARDIS engines, the silence following Rose's words is deafening. The Doctor is rooted to his spot in the kitchen, Rose seems stunned too. Stunned that she actually said that, she _wasn't_ supposed to say anything to him. The Doctor was just supposed to accept her new behaviour towards him and that would be that, but no. The Doctor didn't just accept it, he intervened whilst she was with the King of England. That had pissed her off a lot, but she decided to not even bother yelling at him about it. Minutes pass and neither of them say anything, eventually Rose gets tired of waiting for him to say something.

"Goodnight."

"_Goodnight."_

The word snaps the Doctor out of his daze. Looking up, eyes watering from a combination of pain and not having blinked in a while, the Doctor finds that Rose has already left. No. Not happening. His legs begin to move, taking him to where he _always_ wants to be. With Rose. As he walks, the Doctor replays everything that has happened over and over again in his mind. More specifically the whole situation with Madame De Pompadour, it didn't take him long to pinpoint what Rose meant. In truth the whole thing had been on his mind ever since he broke through the mirror on that horse.

Was he really standing at her bedroom door already? There were no sounds from inside, was Rose in there? Or had she gone elsewhere in case he'd come here? Either way...worth a shot. Knocking on her bedroom door, the Doctor is greeted by silence. The Doctor sighs to himself.

'I've already pissed her off to the point of being slapped into another body. What's one more slap to the count?'

With thought, the Doctor grabs the handle and opens the door.

Inside the Doctor finds two things. First, this is actually _his_ room and second. Rose is fast asleep in his bed. The Doctor looks to the ceiling, if this was the TARDIS showing him what he could have if he wasn't so afraid then she could have picked something else to show him. Leaning against the wall, the Doctor finds himself unable to do anything but watch her, captivated by how peaceful and beautiful she looks.

Knowing that Rose would have his head, the Doctor turns to leave. But there is a problem.

"Ah."

The door has gone. Turning back to take in the room at large, the only door available is one to his en-suite bathroom. Well this isn't going to go over well. Removing his jacket, the Doctor walks over to the sofa, which is opposite the bathroom, but still allows him to see Rose with ease.

Tomorrow, tomorrow they are going to talk. After all, it would seem that the TARDIS is finally saying enough is enough. Still. Better to be locked in a room on the TARDIS with Rose Tyler, instead of being trapped in a room with Jackie Tyler.

Several hours later on board the TARDIS, Rose still sleeps, but Mickey has been awake for the better part of an hour now. He had decided to talk to Rose, to get her to talk to the Doctor. Problem is he can't seem to find her anywhere, being the newest member to the TARDIS, Mickey only has so many ideas on where to look for her, all of which he has checked. So now, Mickey decides to just let Rose find him when she's up. Going back into his room, Mickey notices several movies that he has been wanting to watch for a while now.

"It's disturbing how clever this ship is."

Back in the Doctor's bedroom, Rose's eyes flutter open. How did she come to be in this room again? Why wasn't she in her own room? The sounds of something moving gets Rose's attention, turning over in the bed Rose finds that the Doctor is fast asleep on the sofa. Rose's eyes go wide. This is the Doctor's room. Oh God. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Sitting up fully, Rose looks around in hopes of leaving before he wakes up but she finds that the only door available is the one leading to the bathroom.

"Crap."

Though it was whispered, it seemed to have woken the Doctor regardless. Rose watches as the Doctor shoots up on the sofa so fast that he actually falls off.

"OW!"

Rose couldn't stop the burst of laughter at the sight. Looking round the Doctor finds the woman he loves sitting up in his bed, though he has fantasied many a times that it be _their_ bed, and she is laughing at him.

"Find my pain funny do you Miss. Tyler?"

She shakes her head, still laughing.

"I find it hilarious."

The look on the Doctor's face causes Rose to laugh harder. Making a split second decision to milk it for all it's worth, Rose clutches her sides and falls back on the bed. Granted it wasn't the funny, but the freeing feeling that is coming to her through laughing spurs Rose on.

"Oh. Now you've done it Tyler."

Getting to his feet the Doctor closes the distance between himself and Rose. When he reaches her, the Time Lord promptly begins to tickle his companion. Resulting in Rose to squeal with laughter, and the Doctor to laugh in turn, whilst drowning in the sound of Rose's laughter.

To an outsider looking in you wouldn't think anything was wrong. But as the tickling died, so did the laughter as the two lock eyes, the inevitable _look_ passes between them. The moment where the tension builds up until the actual kiss takes place. But then everything comes flooding back for Rose, effectively snapping her out of the false image of two people in love. That kind of love is certainly _not_ shared on the Doctor's end, not for her.

"Excuse me."

As she shuffles away from him, the Doctor feels his hearts break a little. He really has gone and cocked it up. But will he ever be able to fix this? How in the hell can he even _try_ to fix this if Rose refuses to talk to him about it? The Doctor barely registers the sound of the bathroom door closing. Getting to his feet, the Doctor begins to pace around and around the room. How does he have this conversation with Rose without his own fears taking over? Coming to a halt the Doctor realises that there is no way to have this kind of conversation without his fear playing some part.

"I just have to do it. I just have to tell Rose everything...sweet Rassolin Jackie's going to smack me into my final death."

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Rose has her hands resting against the sink as she stares in the mirror. Her mind going over and over everything. Why does he keep doing this to her? She knows that the man out there is _not_ her Doctor and yet, just now. The way he just looked at her...no. Rose shakes her head. This wasn't going to happen, she won't betray her Doctor like this.

Letting out a breath, Rose decides that there is no delaying it anymore. No matter how much she wished it to be possible. Yes, she is willing to admit that if it were possible Rose would gladly take the childish route of avoiding the whole thing, if for no other purpose than to mentally and emotionally prepare herself for when this conversation eventually came to pass. But it seems there is no chance to avoid anymore, hell she was amazed that the TARDIS didn't pull some strange alien magic trick and dissolve the wall separating herself and the Doctor.

Looking back at her reflection, Rose sees that her eyes are very bright and hold nervousness.

"Time to face the music I guess. Still, it was fun while it lasted."

With that Rose pushes her hands off of the sink and grabs the door handle. As she opens the door, Rose hears the Doctor speaking, apparently to himself.

"...with you. Don't be stupid. She'd laugh at you. OK. Rose. I love you. I've loved since I was wearing the leather jacket, daft face, ears and all..."

"You what?"

The Doctor whips around to find a shocked Rose standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Ah."

**A/N: Good/Bad? Thank you for your reviews so far. Hope you're enjoying it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Had she really heard him say that?

The Doctor's words are ringing in her ears, just as hers rung through the Doctor's last night. Rose feels his eyes on her whilst her mind was spinning. Could he really love her? Rose abruptly began to mentally shake her head and berated herself. Of course he doesn't, this is just some attempt to get her to foolishly become his toy until another Madame De Pompadour comes along. Who knows, maybe the next _Reinette_ will be from her own time line, meaning there really will be no need for her.

No. She will not be that. Not to him, not to _anyone_.

The Doctor had been watching Rose from the moment he realised she was standing there in the doorway. Wondering what was running through her mind, and it was driving him crazy having to wait.

"Rose?"

Nothing. Taking a single step forward, the Doctor looks at her a little more intently. As though hoping to read her mind without touching her.

"Rose, please. Say something."

What she says is not what he was expecting.

"You're lying."

That brought the Doctor up short. How could she think that he is...

"_You left me."_

Her words came crashing back down on him. Oh no. No, no, no, no. This wasn't...how was he going to fix this. He couldn't do it here. On the TARDIS. If some alert was to suddenly occur, they would fall into a state of...God knows what.

Seeing where the Doctor is coming from, the TARDIS agrees to bring the door back.

"Rose. We need to talk about this, everything. But you and I both know how many interruptions we can get. Let me take you somewhere, somewhere we can talk without anything or anyone interrupting us. That's all I ask, afterwards if...whatever it is that you want to do. I'll make it happen."

Rose sunk back into thought. It was a fair request.

"Fine. But _nothing_ and _nowhere_ that will have something happen. The most boring time line in the history of the universe."

Given their track record it would be tough, but the Doctor knew how much the TARDIS loves Rose. Almost as much as himself.

"Most boring yet relaxing time line in the history of the universe."

With that the door re-appeared. Something that caught both their attentions.

"Pack anything you want."

"What about Mickey?"

Ah. The idiot. Yes he had to find a way to deal with him.

"Oh, I'm sure there's something for him to do whilst we talk. Maybe we could just lock him in the games room of the TARIDS. His idea of heaven."

The look on Rose's face made it clear that wasn't going to happen.

"I'll think of something."

However they never got to have their conversation. Instead they ended up crashing into a parallel world, where the Doctor would face an old enemy.

Sitting in Jackie Tyler's living room had the Doctor on edge. Loosing Mickey to the parallel world was unforeseen to say the least, the Doctor was afraid what it would mean for him and Rose. Their much needed conversation still hadn't happened, every second that went by his fear of loosing Rose for good was growing.

Not that a Time Lord needs to but he looks at the clock to find that it is almost three in the morning. Letting out a sigh, the Doctor gets to his feet and beings to pace around the room. She doesn't believe that he loves her, and given his actions the Doctor can't blame her. Not in the slightest.

"Mum will slap you into next month if you put a hole in her floor."

The Doctor spins around to find Rose leaning against the wall. Her hair slightly a mess from sleep, wearing nothing more than a tight fitted t-shirt and shorts. She has never looked more desirable as far as the Doctor's concerned.

"Sorry. How come..."

"Couldn't sleep. Brain refuses to switch off."

The Doctor makes an 'O' shape with his mouth whilst bobbing his head. As though this was the most obvious thing in the world. The Doctor watches Rose go into the kitchen and get herself a drink of water before she returns to the living room, but as she heads to her bedroom the Doctor gently takes hold of her wrist.

"Rose. Something's always gonna interrupt this so...we might as well have this conversation now."

Rose turns to look at the Doctor.

"Doctor. It's ten past three in the morning, can't this wait until a more reasonable hour?"

Her wrist slips through his hand. She is walking away from him, again, and it was killing him. Is this how Rose...oh what has he done? If the pain he is feeling anywhere near as close to what Rose felt when he left her there. No wonder she was so distant with him.

"I love you Rose."

The Doctor felt his hearts skip a beat as Rose stops. He has no idea what the hell he is doing right now, he is simply doing what he should have been doing from the start. Listening to what his hearts desire, and to hell with his fear. When did he come to stand right behind her? Not that the Doctor particularly cared at the moment.

Rose begins shaking her head. Her back still to him. The Doctor feels his hearts crack.

"You're lying. You're not _my_ Doctor."

Oh no. The Doctor suddenly found it very difficult to breath.

_'No. I'm not giving up without a fight. I won't loose her.'_ The Doctor's new determination made him feel more powerful than he thought. He will never go down without a fight, least of all when comes to Rose Tyler's heart.

"I am. I am him Rose..."

He finds himself gently resting his forehead to the back of her peroxide blonde hair. Inhaling her scent before moving his head ever so slightly so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Remember Downing Street. 'I could save the world but loose you.' (he feels Rose's body begin to tremble sightly) I held you, (slowly wraps his arms around her waist) whilst you cried for your father back in 1987."

Rose's grip on the glass weakens. Which the Doctor notices, taking it from her hand, he places it on the side cupboard where the phone resides. Both of them are breathing heavily.

"You say you love me...but you _kissed her_."

The Doctor tightens his grip on Rose a little. Pain colouring both of their faces.

"Foolish mistake. My only defence is temporary insanity. I seem to have come down with a serious hero complex, there isn't any other excuse. I felt nothing for the King's mistress, and even if I did. What kind of life would that have lead to? She was used to getting everything that she's ever wanted, and by that point in her life there probably would have been rather fatal consequences in refusing her. It was one meaningless kiss to me Rose. Though it more than likely helped keep my head."

Rose's mind was spinning once more. How could she just believe him on face value? His actions were after all stacked against him.

"I know Rose. I know I should have taken you and Mickey both through that time window with me, and I honestly have no excuse for not. I could say 'I'm Sorry' until I loose my voice, though that might bring some problems when we're in some rather tricky situations, but it will never change what I did."

The Doctor, whom up until this point had his eyes closed, knowing what he would see on her beautiful face. However the overwhelming thought of knowing that he must see the consequences of his actions makes the Doctor open his eyes, and sure enough. There are silent tears running down Rose's cheeks. But no marks of mascara.

Guilt at his act of stupidity reaches a whole new level. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the Doctor forces himself to speak again.

"Give me a chance to show you Rose. Give me this one last chance to show you how much I love you. Please."

There was a very brief and painful silence. Until a more unwelcoming interruption than a Dalek broke said silence.

"WHAT YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER YOU ALIEN GIT!"

The Doctor jumps from Rose so fast that he actually falls over a chair. Rose's eyes snap open, and there stands a pink bathrobe wearing Jackie Tyler. Fire in her eyes.

Seeing the matriarch standing before him, the Doctor only has one thing running through his mind.

_'Oh no. Death by Jackie Tyler, that means slaps.'_

Nobody moved. Rose and the Doctor are looking at Jackie, whilst Jackie is all but spitting venom through her eyes as she glares at the Doctor.

**A/N: What do you think? Thank you for your reviews and support this far.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

There was silence in the Tyler flat, the Doctor was yet to get up off of the floor. Rose hadn't moved an inch and neither had Jackie, but she was breathing very deeply. Whilst Rose and the Doctor seemed to be barely breathing. Suddenly the Doctor seems to remember that he was on the floor and promptly staggered to his feet.

"WELL!"

Jackie's enraged voice rang out, causing both Rose and the Doctor to flinch a little.

"Well. Jackie, you see. The thing is...and _please_ hold on slapping me into the next millennia until you hear me out."

Jackie nods, Rose however is looking at the Doctor like he has completely lost whatever shred of sanity he had not a moment ago.

"I _may_ have been a complete foolish and total dick to Rose, trust me that's all you're going to want to know. Rose, herself and rightfully so, has been giving me the hell I deserve and dare say will continue to do so. But, in all honesty, I suspect that my act of complete stupidity is also a good thing as it made me realise just how much Rose means to me. As I have been fortunate enough to truly grasp how lucky I am to have her in my _very_ long life without actually loosing her first. Which as we know is more than many an idiot is fortunate enough to have."

Jackie's expression was unreadable. He knew either way he'd be getting slapped for his foolish act. The only question remained was how many slaps he'd be receiving before Jackie Tyler decided he'd endured the right level of punishment from her.

"I'm in love with her Jackie, I know before you say. About bloody time I came to that conclusion, but when you've seen the things I have, even before Rose came into my life...it makes you very guarded with your heart. Or hearts in my case."

With that there was silence. The Doctor couldn't control the level of pleading desperation in his voice to get not just Jackie but Rose herself to understand that point. In fact that last part was very much addressed to Rose and Rose alone.

Now the Doctor was looking between both Rose and Jackie, the latter still pissed that this man has upset her daughter. Rose, has silent tears falling. The Doctor could see the pain and confusion in her eyes.

"OK."

Jackie's voice brought the Doctor's attention back to her in full.

"Firstly. _You_ come here, _now._"

Knowing it was well deserved, and then some, the Doctor silently walks over to Jackie. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

_SMACK!_

Stars _actually_ explode in front of the Doctor's eyes from the impact of Jackie's slap. Head whipping in Rose's direction from the force.

"Bloody hell Jackie, you been practising or something?"

Bringing his head back to Jackie's direction, and after some minutes of his eyes adjusting, the Doctor looks at Jackie. Wondering if...

_SMACK!_

"MOM!"

His eyes are now looking at the wall. One slap to each cheek, the woman was thorough if nothing else. Bringing his head back to it's original position once more, that being eye to eye contact with the enraged Jackie Tyler, the Doctor raises a hand in the 'let it go' manner.

"It's alright Rose. Deserve a lot harsher actually."

Jackie huffed.

"You got that bloody right you do, and think yourself sodding lucky that Rose is here otherwise I'd be skinnin' yeah with a frozen spoon for whatever the hell it is you've gone and done. But make no mistake you alien sod, if I find my Rosie in tears again through an intentional stupid stunt on your part again there ain't no where in this universe you'll be able to go and hide in you hear!"

All he can do is nod, whilst trying to _not_ imagine being skinned by Jackie Tyler and _any_ kind of weapon let alone a frozen spoon. Blunt, ice cold object in the hands of Jackie Tyler. Not even a _Dalek_ would mess with her. Jackie turns her attention to Rose.

"Now darling, I won't tell you what to do here. But, I want you to know that all I care about is _you_ being happy. Even if it is with this alien unworthy git here. Whatever fear you have darling, _talk_ to him about it OK. You'll feel better, and _both of you_ are to stop running from what you feel for each other. I can only speak for this planet when I say that there are a lot of lonely people out there who dream and crave something that wouldn't even be remotely _close_ to what you two share. _STOP_ taking it for granted."

With that Jackie Tyler turned in her pink robe and went back to bed. Leaving both Rose and the Doctor standing there rather stunned.

A few seconds later, or possibly minutes only the Doctor would know for sure, but he is the first to speak.

"You know. For a scary woman, your mum is wiser than most people I've ever met. Just don't tell her I said that."

A joyous sound reaches the Doctor's ears. Rose giggling softly at his words. After a few seconds, he watches Rose sit down on the sofa before deciding to join her. Leaning his elbows on his knees, the Doctor wonders where best to start a conversation now.

"I want to be able to trust what I feel when you tell me you love me."

Rose turns to look at him.

"I just need time to learn to trust you again first after..."

She couldn't say it. Nor did he need her too. Cautiously the Doctor reaches out for Rose's hand, when she doesn't pull it away the Doctor takes hold of it. Rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I am so sorry for betraying your trust Rose."

"I know."

He brings her hand to his mouth and kisses it.

"I love you."

"I know that too."

It wasn't 'I love you' but after betraying her trust it was far more than he deserved. But the Doctor fully intends to gain her trust back, it will just take time.

Sadly. Neither of them knew that their time had been given a limit.

The End.

**A/N: But don't worry, I have decided to turn this into a series.**

**Would you like the Doctor and Rose to have a family?**

**Thanks for reading the first instalment of the series, you support and reviews.**


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